Can end with inseparable tear strip



' -June27,196 7 G.- F. SMYTH I 3,327,891

CAN END WITH INSEFARABLE TEAR STRIP Filed March 15. 1965 I I 2Sheets-Sheet 1 June 27, SMYTH CAN END WITH INSEPARABLE TEAR STRIP 2Sheets-Sheet Filed March 15, 1965 United States Patent 3,327,891 CAN ENDWITH INSEPARABLE TEAR STRIP George F. Smyth, Los Angeles, Calif.,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Ermal C. Fraze, Dayton, Ohio FiledMar. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 439,807 9 Claims. (Cl. 22054) This inventionrelates to easy opening cans and more specifically to such a can whichis readily opened by severing a tear strip defined by lines of scorefrom a wall of the can to expose the contents thereof.

Such so-called easy opening cans have been well accepted by the publicand in the type used for beer, carbonated beverages, and other liquidswhere the tear strip defines a pouring spout or opening, one end of thetear strip is permanently joined to a lever or tab. To open the can,this tab is simply lifted which initiates rupture of the score line andthen both the tab and the tear strip are removed from the can by acontinuous pull on the tab.

These easy opening cans have been highly successful because theyeliminate the necessity of an opener or tool and thus are mostconvenient for use at recreational areas such as beaches, parks and thelike. The use of such easy opening cans at recreational areas is on theincrease, but unfortunately, while there is a tendency for the public tobe careful about the disposal of the cans themselves after use so as notto litter the recreational areas, there is also a tendency for thepublic to simply discard the removed tab and tear strip after openingthe cans at any place the user happers to be. As a result these tearstrips and tabs unfortunately can be found littering many recreationalareas.

This litter of recreational areas with these tear strips and tabs hasbecome quite a problem to those in charge of maintaining theserecreational areas clean and usable. For one thing, being small, thesetear strips and tabs are more diflicult to pick up than other largerdebris and cannot be satisfactorily raked like other debris. At beachesthey become buried in the sand, making their removal most difiicult.Too, present cleaning equipment, it has been found, does notsatisfactorily pick up these tear strips and tabs so as to properlyclean the recreational areas, and attempts to .use magnetic equipmenthave been unsatisfactory because the tear strips and tabs are generallyformed of nonferrous metal. All in all, the problem of the litter bythese severed tear strips and tabs is such that some states andmunicipalities have been prompted to consider ordinances prohibiting theuse of easy opening cans in recreational areas, particularly at beachareas.

Thus, it should be apparent that if easy opening cans are to continue tobe increasingly successful, a solution to the problem of litteringrecreational areas with tear strips and tabs must be solved, yet it isapparent that any solution to this litter problem must still afford thepublic with the same advantages and conveniences as the present easyopening cans, and it is the purpose of the present invention to achievethis result.

This purpose is achieved by a concept of providing a tear strip and tabwhich will perform the same function as before, but will remain intacton the can so that both are discarded with the can. In the preferredpractice of this concept, a tear strip is formed in the can top by scorelines which when ruptured, define a pouring spout. But, unlike the prioreasy open can tops, the score lines are not continuous, that is, they donot completely circumscribe a segment of the can top so that the tearstrip and its tab never become detached from the remainder of the cantop.

There is, of course, another problem which arises when the tear stripand tab remain a part of the can top and that is the problem ofinterference of the tab and tear strip,

3,327,89l Patented June 27, 1967 particularly Where the can is to beused for drinking directly therefrom. This problem is solved by thepresent invention by so orienting the tear strip which, after it hasbeen partially severed from the can top, can be reversely bent againstthe can top to position the tab joined thereto so that the latter can bemoved downwardly alongside the wall of the can. In this arrangement,both the tear strip and tab are out of the Way of the pouring spout areaand there is no interference from either the tear strip or the tab whenthe can is handled and used either to drink directly therefrom or tosimply pour therefrom.

Thus, to open an easy open can formed in accordance with the teachingsof this invention, the tab is lifted out of its initial position fiatagainst the top of the can so as to initiate a severance of the scoreline and then pulled in a direction away from the pouring spout area sothat the material of the top is severed along the score line.Thereafter, the tab is moved down over the edge of the can top so as tolie fiat against the cylindrical wall of the can. Cans made inaccordance with the teachings of this invention thus have the advantagesof the present easy opening cans and yet obviate the aforesaid litterproblem because the tear strips and tabs never become separated from thecans.

Other features and advantages of the invention may be understood fromthe following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative FIGURE 1is a plan view of a can top formed in accordance with the teachings ofthis invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the can top after the line of score has beenruptured and the tab disposed adjacent the side wall of the can;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional View taken along line 3-3 of FIGURE 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail view of one type of tab having a piercingpoint and used to initiate severance of the score line;

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view of the can top immediately after the tab islifted and there has been an initial severance of the score line;

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view like FIGURE 6, illustrating the position ofthe tab and the severance of the score line upon further lifting of thetab out of its initial position;

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view showing the tab in the position once thescore line is completely ruptured; and

FIGURE 9 shows the position of the tear strip and interconnected tab atthe completion of the opening of the can.

The can top of the present invention, referring now to the drawing,comprises a body member, indicated in its entirety as 10, which may bemade of a aluminum alloy, and which is formed with a rim flange 12 forjoining the can top to a cylindrical can body 14 in a well-known manner.The can top 10 is provided with a tear strip 16 defined by a line ofscore 18 which thins the metal of the can top for ease of rupture sothat when the tear strip is separated by severance along the line ofscore 18, a pouring spout or opening 20 is formed in the top of the can.

The line of score 18 is not continuous, and as best shown in FIGURE 1the opposite ends thereof terminate in a spaced apart relationship inthe vicinity of the center of the can top and thus form the tear strip16 into a tongue-like configuration. As the line of score 18 isdiscontinuous, the segment 26 of the can top intermediate the ends ofthe line of score permanently join the tongue-like 3 tear strip 16 tothe remainder of the can top and forms a portion about which the tearstrip 16 may be folded once the line of score is ruptured.

In the illustrated embodiment of the can top of the present invention, atab or lever 22, formed of a length of relatively stifi wire, is joinedto the tear strip 16 adjacent the peripheral edge of the can top by apair of protuberances 24 integral with the can top and which, as bestseen in FIGURE 4, overlie the leg 27 of the tab to hold the latterpermanently to the tear strip. Thus what may be termed the leading endof the tear strip is connected to the tab 22 and the tear strip isbendable about its opposite end which may be termed the root end of thetear strip.

Although any means desired may be used to permanently join the tab tothe tear strip 16, in the embodiment illustrated the spaced apartprotuberances 24 are formed by upsetting the material of the tear stripafter which the leg 27 of the tab is positioned between theprotuberances. After the leg has been properly positioned between theprotuberances the latter are peened over to clamp the leg against thetear strip. This method of joining the tab to the tear strip isdisclosed and claimed in my copending application for patent, Serial No.437,021, filed March 4, 1965.

The one end of the tab, referring now to FIGURE 5, is preferably formedwith a piercing point 28 which overlies the line of score 18 so thatwhen the handle 30 of the tab 22, formed by a loop of the wire, islifted from its original position flat against the can top, the piercingpoint is moved in the opposite direction, i.e., toward the line of score18 to pierce the latter and initiate rupture of the same.

FIGURES 7, 8 and 9 show various stages or positions of the tab and tearstrip relative to the can top 10 as the can is being opened. After theinitial rupture of the score 18 through the lever action brought aboutby lifting the handle 30 of the tab 22 as shown in FIGURE 6, a furtherlifting of the handle 30, i.e., raising the tab toward the somewhatvertical position as shown in FIGURE 7, produces a further rupturing ofthe score line 18 and the tear strip folds near the juncture between thetear strip and the tab.

FIGURE 8 shows how the tear strip 16 is lifted from the can top 10 bycontinued pulling on the handle 30 and by the time the tab is in theposition shown in full lines in FIGURE 8, the score line is completelyruptured so that the tear strip can now be easily folded back over thetop of the can.

The tear strip 16 formed by the score line 18 is preferably of such alength relative to the diameter of the can top 10 that the end of thetear strip 16 to which the tab 22 is joined, once the tear strip isfolded back over the can top, is disposed just clear of the can top.

FIGURE 9 shows the tear strip completely folded back with the free endof the tear strip disposed beyond the edge of the can, which edge in thepreferred practice of the invention is the edge diametrically oppositethe edge Where the initial severance took place to faciliate the tearingor ripping of the score line.

This slight extension of the free end of the tear strip beyond the edgeof the can top 10 places the tab 22 in a position where it can be moveddownwardly against the cylindrical wall of the can body 14. In thisposition, the tab does not interfere with the user grasping the can bodyto pour or drink directly from the can.

Certain dimensional relationship in the preferred embodiment of theinvention may be made apparent by referring to the diameter along theline 3-3 of FIG. 1. It can be seen that the length of the tab is greaterthan the radius of the can top, i.e. greater than one half of thediameter. It is also apparent that the distance between the leading endof the tear strip and the corresponding end of the diameter along theline 33 is shorter than the distance of the root end of the tear stripfrom the opposite end of the diameter. Furthermore, the length of thetear strip is greater than the distance from the root end of the tearstrip to the corresponding end of the diameter along the line 33.

From the above description of the invention, it can be seen that thetear strip is not completely severed from the can top as the score lineis ruptured through manipulation of the tab, although a full pouringopening is formed by the partial severance of the tear strip from thecan top. The invention thus provides a can top as easily opened aspresently used easy open tops but completely eliminates the litterproduced in recreational areas by the separa-table tear strips andconnected tabs of the presently used easy opening can tops.

A further feature of the present invention resides in the fact that asthe tear strip 16 is not completely severable from the can top, there isno danger of a highly pressurized content of the can, such as acarbonated beverage, discharging the tear strip from the can top. Thuseven though the internal pressure could tend to sever the line of score18, there is no danger of the tear strip separating from the can top athigh velocity for the segment 26 integrally joins and anchors the oneend of the tear strip to the remainder of the can top.

Although the now preferred embodiments of the present invention havebeen shown and described herein, it is to be understood that theinvention is not to be limited thereto, for it is susceptible to changesin form and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

I. In an easy opening can having a top weakened along a score line toform a tear strip and having a tab attached to the leading end of thetear strip for manual severance thereof to leave a pouring opening, theimprovement to prevent complete removal of the tear strip and at thesame time to keep the tear strip and the tab from interfering with theoperation of dispensing the contents of the can through the pouringopening, comprising:

said score line having a loop portion forming a leading end of the tearstrip and being interrupted to provide two ends of the score line withthe two ends spaced apart to form an opposite root end of the tear stripthat is bendable to permit the tear strip to be bent back from thepouring opening,

said leading end of the tear strip being closer to one side of the canthan the root end of the tear strip with the root end of the tear stripextending towards the opposite side of the can,

the length of the tear strip being greater than the radius of the cantop and being greater than the distance of the root end of the tearstrip from said opposite side of the can to place the leading end of thetear strip and the tab attached thereto beyond said opposite side of thecan when the tear strip is bent back.

2. In an easy opening can having a circular can top weakened along ascore line to form a tear strip and having a tab attached to the leadingend of the tear strip for manual severance thereof to leave a pouringopening, the improvement to prevent complete removal of the tear stripand at the same time to keep the tear strip and the tab from interferingwith the operation of withdrawing the contents of the can through thepouring opening, comprising:

said score line having a loop portion forming a leading end of the tearstrip and being interrupted to provide two ends with the two ends of thescore line spaced apart to form a root end of the tear strip that isbendable to permit the tear strip to be bent back from the pouringopening,

said leading end of the tear strip being closer to one side of the canthan the root end of the tear strip with the root end of the tear stripextending towards the opposite side of the can,

the length of the tear strip being greater than the radius of the cantop and being greater than the distance of the root end of the tearstrip from said opposite side of the can to place the leading end of thetear strip and the tab attached thereto beyond said opposite side of thecan when the tear strip is bent back from the pouring opening,

said tab having a working end connected to the leading end of the tearstrip and a handle end extending longitudinally of the tear striptowards the root end of the tear strip whereby lifting the handle end ofthe tab bends the leading end of the tear strip inward towards theinterior of the can to initiate severance of the tear strip and wherebythe tab may be swung to an angle relative to the tear strip to extenddown the side of the can when the tear strip is bent back from the pouropening.

3. An improvement as set forth in claim 2 in which the tab is a wiremember initially lying flat against the tear strip with the working endof the wire member anchored to the tear strip by a pair of oppositeoverhanging double-layer tongues formed in the tear strip with the tearstrip continuous in the region of each tongue.

4. An improvement as set forth in claim 3 in which the working end ofthe wire member is formed with a point to pierce the can top at the loopof the score line that forms the leading end of the tear strip.

5. In an easy opening can having a circular top Wall formed of sheetmaterial:

an interrupted line of scoring in said top wall with the ends of theline of scoring spaced apart to form a tongue-like tear strip with aleading end and with a bendable root end permanently joined to theremainder of the top wall to permit the tear strip to be severed alongthe line of scoring to form a pour opening in said wall and to permitthe tear strip to be bent back from the opening; and

a tab connected to the leading end of the tongue-like tear strip toserve as manual means for severance of the tear strip along the line ofscoring and to serve as manual means for bending the tear strip backfrom the opening to avoid interference with use of the opening to emptythe can.

6. An easy opening can as set forth in claim 5 in which the tear stripextends along a diameter of the top wall with a distance between theleading end of the tear strip and the corresponding end of the diametershorter than the distance of the root end of the tear strip from theopposite end of the diameter and with the length of the tear stripgreater than the distance from the root end of the tear strip to saidopposite end of the diameter whereby the tab extends beyond saidopposite end of the diameter when the tear strip is bent back from thepour opening.

7. An easy opening can as set forth in claim 6 in which the longitudinaldimension of the tear strip measured from the root end to the connectionof the tear strip with the tab is greater than the distance from theroot end of the tear strip to said opposite end of the diameter topermit the tab to be swung back beyond said opposite end of the diameterand below the plane of the top wall of the can when the tear strip isbent back from the pour opening.

8. In an easy opening can having a body member and a closing end wall:

a line of weakness formed in said end wall defining an elongated tearstrip, said line of weakness comprising a score line extending from apoint on said end wall centrally thereof toward the peripheral edgethereof and returning to a second point centrally of the end wall andspaced from said first mentioned point to thereby form a segment of theend wall integrally joining said tear strip to said end wall, wherebythe tear strip defined by said score line will remain joined with theend wall upon rupture of the score line to form a pouring opening insaid end wall; and

a tab having one end connected to said tear strip adjacent the saidperipheral edge of said end wall for manual rupture ofs aid score line,whereby lifting of the tab will rupture said score line, and continuedpulling on the tab will bend said tear strip at said segment, thelocation of said segment being such that the end of the tear stripadjacent the peripheral edge of the end wall will extend beyond theopposite edge of said end wall when said tear strip is bent followingrupture of said score line to permit the tab to be disposed closelyadjacent the side wall of said body member.

9. In an easy opening can having a body member and a closing end wall:

a line of weakness formed in said end wall defining an elongated tearstrip severable from said end wall to provide an opening therein, saidline of weakness comprising a score line extending from a point on saidend wall centrally thereof toward the peripheral edge thereof andreturning to a second point centrally of the end wall and spaced fromsaid first mentioned point to thereby form a segment of the end wallintegrally joining said tear strip to said end wall, whereby the tearstrip defined by said score line will remain joined with the end wallupon rupture of the score line to form the opening in said end wall;

a rigid tab; and

means joining an end of said tab to the end of said tear strip oppositeto said segment, manipulation of said tab rupturing said score line tolift said tear strip from said end wall whereby said tear strip may bereversely bent back at said segment, the location of said segment beingsuch that the end of the tear strip joined to said tab will extendbeyond the 0pposite edge of said end wall after said tear strip is bentfollowing rupture of said score line, whereby the tab may be thereaftermoved to a position closely adjacent the side wall of said body member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,269,586 8/1966 Quimby et al220-54 FOREIGN PATENTS 633,372 7/ 1936 Germany.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. G. T, HALL Assistant Examiner.

1. IN AN EASY OPENING CAN HAVING A TOP WEAKENED ALONG A SCORE LINE TOFORM A TEAR STRIP AND HAVING A TAB ATTACHED TO THE LEADING END OF THETEAR STRIP FOR MANUAL SEVERANCE THEREOF TO LEAVE A POURING OPENING, THEIMPROVEMENT TO PREVENT COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE TEAR STRIP AND AT THESAME TIME TO KEEP THE TEAR STRIP AND THE TAB FROM INTERFERING WITH THEOPERATION OF DISPENSING THE CONTENTS OF THE CAN THROUGH THE POURINGOPENING, COMPRISING: SAID SCORE LINE HAVING A LOOP PORTION FORMING ALEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP AND BEING INTERRUPTED TO PROVIDE TWO ENDSOF THE SCORE LINE WITH THE TWO ENDS SPACED APART TO FORM AN OPPOSITEROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP THAT IS BENDABLE TO PERMIT THE TEAR STRIP TOBE BENT BACK FROM THE POURING OPENING, SAID LEADING END OF THE TEARSTRIP BEING CLOSER TO ONE SIDE OF THE CAN THAN THE ROOT END OF THE TEARSTRIP WIH THE ROOT END OF THE TEAR STRIP EXTENDING TOWARDS THE OPPOSITESIDE OF THE CAN, THE LENGTH OF THE TEAR STRIP BEING GREATER THAN THERADIUS OF THE CAN TOP AND BEING GREATER THAN THE DISTANCE OF THE ROOTEND OF THE TEAR STRIP FROM SAID OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAN TO PLACE THELEADING END OF THE TEAR STRIP AND THE TAB ATTACHED THERETO BEYOND SAIDOPPOSITE SIDE OF THE CAN WHEN THE TEAR STRIP IS BENT BACK.